The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
On an early morning drive in the Masai Mara I returned to a lion kill that had been made the day before. It was just before sunrise and there was a single pride male feeding on the remains of a buffalo carcass. Waiting for the sun to crest the horizon I positioned my self for an eye-level perspective. As the sun rose there was a moment when he finally glared my way with one eye, and I took the shot. At that moment the caption of ârib-eyeâ came to me.
I have cropped the image and converted it to B&W as it makes a stronger image, and is also less offensive than the colour version with the vivid red ribs.
Specific Feedback
I welcome any and all feedback, particularly on composition and story.
Technical Details
Camera: Nikon D850; lens: Nikkor 70-200mm, f2.8
Settings: 1/800 sec @f2.8, focal length 150mm, ISO 2200, -0.33 EV
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
I like the eye contact you got, you can intensify the eye a touch. I think going B&W was a good decision here to avoid the gory look of flesh.
IMHO if you selectively sharpen the lion w/o shapening the kill, you may get better output.
Thank you for your feedback@JRajput.
I have now reworked the image: to slightly enhance the lionâs eye; masked and sharpened just the lion; and then masked the carcass and reduced the exposure and contrast slightly to reduce the glare.
Garnet, this is a really nice image. The one-eye, peering from behind the kill, is quite impactful, and brightening it up was a good choice. The B&W treatment works well here, but Iâd also be curious to see the colour version - âgoreâ is part of prey kills and doesnât offend me at all.
Repost is darn good - surprising and dramatic. While Iâm not bothered by intense hunt images since itâs what needs to happen, I think including the color would focus attention there instead of the lion. In monochrome, the act of killing and eating becomes more conceptual than actual even though thatâs exactly whatâs happening here. To me this image is a bit more documentary for its own sake rather than exploitative or sensational which could be an interpretation for a color image. Excellent timing and knowledge of your subject to catch this intense slice of life. And death.
Thanks for the feedback Sandy. I chose B&W as I have found that while many photographers (especially of wildlife), understand the cycle of life, there is always the chance that some viewers may be offended by a sea of red. And, it is quite difficult to create images of a kill that people would want to hang on their wall.
Thank you for the feedback @Kris_Smith . You are quite right about the âdocumentaryâ nature of the image. As a wildlife biologist I spent much of my working life âdocumentingâ species I was working with. Now in retirement, I can focus (pun intended), on creating images of wildlife that depict their character, beauty, and role in the hierarchy of the individuals with which they share an ecosystem.
